Employers, corporate executives, and managers need to retain top talent, but some mistakes make it difficult to achieve the feat. Below is a list of the leadership flaws to avoid for better employee retention. By keeping these flaws in mind, a leader will be more likely to follow good habits, which results in higher employee retention.
Too Many Rules
Many rigid rules, expectations, and policies hurt employer-employee relationships. It also damages employee retention as top talent leaves because of discomfort with strict guidelines. Flexible scheduling and the ability to work virtually is general expectation for professionals nowadays. Organizations that offer remote and telecommuting options can retain most of their team, even for a few days weekly.
Failing to Recognize Accomplishments
One of the biggest mistakes made by employers and managers is failing to recognize the accomplishments of workers. Top performers expect rewards and advancement opportunities. For example, a leader could, intentionally or not, create a hostile work environment by focusing too hard on money, customer rewards programs, and failure to communicate/reward good work.
Being Inconsiderate of Employee Needs
Managers and company leaders who do not consider their employees’ needs and life situations create an impression that they do not care about workers. Many workers leave their jobs because of limited time to care for families because leadership did not discuss their challenges. A discussion may bring a solution like creating a flexible schedule.
Restricting Employees from Following their Passions
Employers and managers fail to motivate some of their employees when they do not facilitate them to pursue areas that give them joy. Talent management strategies can help an organization achieve better employee retention by creating work and training opportunities in their passionate areas to feel more engaged in their jobs.
Failing to Make Work Fun
Retention is low when the work environment is hostile, too competitive, or rigid. Managers forget that workers want some fun during working hours. Working without joy causes disengagement from projects and daily responsibilities. The employees will not be motivated to do more than the bare minimum and will leave their job at the slightest opportunity.
Lack of Emphasis on the Big Picture
A failure to inform employees about the mission and goals of their employer is likely to make them less engaged. The problem arises because managers are not prepared to deal with management and leading teams. Illustrating company values helps employees understand the big picture, like selling medical equipment to make profits and help buyers save lives.
Tolerating Poor Performance
Employee retention rate drops if the top talent works with poor performers, yet the company isn’t doing much to improve the skills of the worst performers. The best workers will tire from taking bigger workloads and resent those who do not input project completion. Managers with inferior skills could demoralize the workers leading to a lower employee retention rate as some quit to escape from their managers.
It is crucial to avoid leadership flaws to avoid better employee retention. It helps keep employees who bring value to an organization and save the resources to hire or train new employees frequently.